


You Don't Need To Protect Me

by My_Black_Crimson_Rose6



Series: Spicy Trickster One-Shots and Drabbles [5]
Category: RWBY
Genre: Friendship, M/M, Romance, Tumblr Prompts, Universe Alteration, blind!Fox, prompts, serious injury
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-27
Updated: 2015-03-27
Packaged: 2018-03-19 20:52:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,733
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3623898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/My_Black_Crimson_Rose6/pseuds/My_Black_Crimson_Rose6
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You Don't Need to Protect Me" he would always say but the thing was... the thing was was that he did need him to watch his back.</p>
            </blockquote>





	You Don't Need To Protect Me

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote and posted this really early/late in the evening so I'mma gonna go to bed then I'm going to go back and try to pick up anything I missed before posting this (which might be a fair bit if me falling asleep while writing this note is anything to go off of).
> 
> [The whole thing is also based off a comic which can be found here](http://shadowsheyla.tumblr.com/tagged/lost-arm-ua/chrono)

He brushed it off, he always brushed it off. Any cut or broken bone—he’d raise one of those burnt orange eyebrows at him and purse his lips. At times he’d break out into a grin after that, in the moments before as he gauged Sage’s reaction. Their teams’ busing themselves around the two boys as they held a silent conversation where one lacked sight and the other was slowly growing more concerned with each scar marring the male’s dark skin.

With the influx of Grimm sightings teams heading out to slay these creatures were heavily suggested to partner up with other teams. With team RWBY more often than naught paired with JNPR the four boys had to go hunting for another team to partner with—cue in the older team and the odd development of Scarlet and Coco’s friendship.

Funny thing was, was the two bonded over Scarlet’s shoulder cape. Coco was very impressed with his look and Scarlet was quick to point out the rest of his team and the fact that he had a major role to play in choosing their outfits. “My team grew out of that,” she had replied still looking impressed with the group of boys gathered in front of her. “This year they’re being all ‘independent’ and choosing their own outfits.”

It was only natural that after that Teams CFVY and SSSN partnered up for some high-risk missions. One team did have the clearance after all—and it’s their jobs as upperclassmen to handle these dangerous missions.

They were sent south for the first mission. A new deposit of Dust was just located and they needed a little more fire power to help clear the place out so they could start mining it out. Simple enough if not for the number of Grimm gathered—but so it’s typically the case when a large group of humans appear.

The mission saw lots of fighting. And team SSSN would be lying if they said that they did not stare in awe at least once of their older partners. Coco had led them through the first few waves, speaking out on how team CFVY fought and the four boys quickly fell into place after that. It was a near solid day of fighting and by the time the BullHead came to pick them up the teams were exhausted.

When they touched back down on Beacon soil team RWBY rushed to greet them—Sun flushing and buffing out his chest as he explained his version of the mission to the ladies (mostly Blake though, the crush was obvious and Sage would cringe at how apparent it was). Sage had wanted to just go to his room and crash for the remainder of the day but a hand had grabbed his coat and pulled him away from the group.

“You don’t need to protect me,” came Fox’s voice. During that first mission the scarred male had hardly said a word that didn’t involve the mission and it was never directed towards Sage. Sage didn’t protect the other male because of pity, no, he was a teammate and Sage saw an attack directed at him and he needed to take the Grimm out anyways—

Okay, so maybe he did mind Fox’s six a little more than could be deemed appropriate but it _wasn’t_ because the guy was blind. No, the guy’s lack of sight only made his hearing, taste, smell and feeling heightened (guess what they say about the senses really were true). And it was kinda... well, it weirded Sage out a bit when Fox had first said “I can feel the shift of air—they’re coming from the right.” And of course, they came from the right.

And so Sage denied it.

On the second mission they headed east to help out one of the towns that weren’t protected by walls and the Hunters/Huntresses. And again Sage had Fox’s six. “You don’t need to protect me,” he said again and again Sage denied it.

After that second mission the two teams had begun to go out more—exploring the city, dragging their friends shopping, and at one time they even chased after cats (Fox seemed to be the only one who ever caught them). And it was during one of those shopping outings that Sage heard Fox laugh for the first time. It involved two of Fox’s fingers and his tongue directed towards Coco who called him out for the lewd hand gesture and slapped his chest—it was then that he threw his head back and crackled, dancing away from the female’s swinging hand as she tried to slap him again and again.

He had a nice laugh—he had a nice voice actually.

The third mission was another one down south. Going in and clearing out some Grimm. It was straight forward and real simple. “You have a nice heartbeat,” Fox told him while they were waiting for evac.

“You have a nice face,” and Sage could remember the look of shock that crossed his features before it softened into something else.

“I wouldn’t know,” he had replied in a soft tone. His posture still slouched with his hands buried in his pant pockets. “I’ve been told I have some serious lip scarring,” he turned his face up towards Sage’s direction as if to show off the scar.

Sage remembers lightly pinching Fox’s chin and running his thumb over the bottom half of the scar, ghosting over his bottom lip in the process. “It evens out the look,” he had cleared his throat and quickly stuffed his traitorous hands in his jacket pockets. “You... you look good.”

He didn’t catch Fox’s flustered expression.

He did catch the “you don’t need to protect me,” though and it brought a smile to his lips as he denied it.

Things were normal aside from the missions. They were still expected to attend class so they did—when not on any missions. They spent time with the teams their own age, Sun and Neptune had formed a close bond with RWBY and JNPR that Scarlet and Sage were only being let in on.

And the thing with Fox... well...

It started with Fox’s hand holding his wrist. It continued with Fox’s hands settling on his neck, taking in the feeling as he whispered “it’s only fair.” Sage had trailed a knuckle along the underside of the other boy’s arm and Fox moved to start feeling over his face. Sage couldn’t remember how long he had let Fox feel up his face until he pressed their foreheads together and sighed. Fox’s eyes fell shut and he bumped their noses together.

Sage kissed him then. He kissed him like he hasn’t kissed another person before. It was all teeth and open mouths and tongues and hands—it left him breathless and craving more. And he did get more. They had stood outside the dorms for an hour, their minds and bodies too wrapped up in each other that time didn’t seem to matter.

It wasn’t until Scarlet came out with a bucket of water and threw it on the couple did they finally snap out of their little spell. “You’ve been making out for forty-five minutes! Enough is enough!” the redhead shouted. He had followed them both inside and _waited_ at the end of the hall when Sage _walked_ Fox to his room and kissed him goodnight.

After that the injures that Fox would sustain—all minimal and with a quick moment of concentration his aura typically healed it up quickly (or they’d splint it off and it’ll heal in a couple of days)—became a bigger concern for Sage. They were a _couple_ now and it wasn’t just “you don’t need to protect me” and the denial that needed to be exchanged now, no now there was an added part. Sage would frown at him and check over the scarring afterwards; running his thumb over the fresh tissue and Fox would then grin and pucker his lips.

“Stop leaving scars,” Sage would mumble against the other’s lips. And Fox would only hum and not promise him anything.

Sage got his first fright when on their seventh mission as a group Fox and Scarlet got separated from group. And it wouldn’t have been a problem... except for the fact that neither one had any long range weapons. The tunnels were crawling with Grimm and there was no way to get to either of the two males the way they fell.

It took them four hours to find them and another three hours to get out of the tunnels. Scarlet scratched by with a broken arm and two cracked ribs from the fall and Fox limped out of there with a leg broken in two different places. It was safe to say that it was a soar couple of days for both redheads.

It was the first mission in a long time that team SSSN wasn’t accompanying team CFVY. Instead Sun and Neptune had both (jointly) pouted at team RWBY until they agreed to team up with them for some Grimm slaying adventure.

Sage had cupped Fox’s cheek and he _told_ him, he **fucking** told the elder boy to “be careful” on his mission. Of course, because of course Team CFVY was going to take on a solo mission while SSSN and RWBY went off on their own. Of course.

And Fox had grinned and kissed his palm.

“You don’t need to protect me,” he had chuckled. Fox _chuckled_ —of course he did. Of course he laughed at the thought.

“Of course I do,” Sage had said, _because you don’t protect yourself enough_.

\---

_What was going on?_

He was on a mission—protect the tower. Okay, yeah. He remembers that part. He remembers the foul taste in the air and the stench in his nose. He was fighting Grimm. His body ached and he slowly pushed himself up onto unsteady feet.

A lot of Grimm then?

He couldn’t hear anything. **He couldn’t hear anything**. His heart jumped in his throat and he tilted his head from right to left. He couldn’t—no. No, there was a loud piercing ringing in his ears.

 He could still hear.

The next was the taste and feeling.

Everything was burning around him. He could taste the heat and smoke—his stomach turned. Everything was burning and he had no idea what happened and he had no way to know where he was or how to get away.

Everything felt hot against his skin and he could only swear more. His ears still ringing and his body still soar and blistering hot.

The air out of his lungs shot out of his lungs as a weight slammed into him. His head knocking painfully against the ground and pain shot up his arm and to his chest. He could feel his throat vibrate with a bloodcurdling scream and he could feel the weight above him.

_There was an explosion_.

There was an explosion and that’s all Fox remembered before the pain took him.

\---

RWBY and SSSN had returned shortly after team CFVY left for their mission.

Neptune kept poking and prodding at Sage claiming that the man was pouting. Sage wasn’t pouting. He wasn’t. He just... he was just not being outright chipper right now. He just didn’t feel like smiling for no reason. And okay, so maybe he did play with his dinner one evening and he allowed the meatball that Yang flicked at him to hit him right in the middle of his face.

Okay, so maybe he was pouting.

A little.

He was worried though. No one had any information on what mission they took—Sage asked. Team CFVY had been gone for three days and Sage’s unrest had leeched into the others. While the younger students had confidence in the older team the lack of information and news from them had them on edge.

Their concerns were confirmed when a third year team came up to their table and forwarded a message. “You’re Fox’s boyfriend right?” one of the third year students stopped at the head of the table. Sage had nodded wordlessly, his stomach sinking. “Team CFVY was sent out to guard a radio tower and we recently got word of an explosion. We’ve been dispatched to bring them back but there’s been no word.”

The student didn’t wait for any reply before rushing off after their team.

Sage remembers the shock and the feeling of his lungs clenching in his chest. He remembers the lingering feeling overhead and the static ringing in his ears. He remembers the touch against the back of his neck.

He doesn’t remember how he got in front of the school and he doesn’t remember how much time passed between him getting there and the BullHead touching down on the landing pad.

He remembers the blood though. He remembers the empty space where Fox’s left arm should’ve been. He remembers the burns and the smell of cooking flesh. He remembers the sounds of Velvet sobbing and he remembers hearing Coco’s scream when the medics had to move her from the haul of the ship and onto the stretcher. He remembers helping two of the third year students carry Yatsuhashi all the way to the medic bay. He remembers feeling the shattered bones under his palm as they hauled the unconscious male in.

He doesn’t remember leaving.

He doesn’t remember leaving nor does he remember putting up a fuss. He remembers thinking _I can’t leave them_.

And when he catches a glimpse of a broken and bleeding Fox he couldn’t be moved—at least not willingly.

...

For days every time he’d close his eyes he’d see Fox.

He’d see the torn open vest soaked in blood and soot. His chest seemingly torn open and his arm... his arm.

...

Velvet was the first to wake two days later. She woke with a sob and her eyes wild as she searched around her. She was surrounded by walls of white curtains and the heart monitor beeping wildly as her heart thundered in her chest.

...

Coco woke up the next day. She could be heard cursing up a storm as she pulled out IV’s and detached herself from all the cords and wires. The nurses had to tackle her back into the bed. She had kept shouting, “where’s Fox?! Tell me where Fox is!” until they had to knock her out.

...

Yatsuhashi woke two days after Coco. Both girls curled up against either side of him. Most of his injuries had healed, though the heavy bruising would remain. It was still better than what it was before—Yatsuhashi could slightly remember the pain, though he wishes not to.

...

Fox escapes two days after his teammates are released from the medic bay.

...

Sage doesn’t know how he did it but he did it. Fox was sitting at a table dressed how he normally was; belt and those pouches intact and his vest zipped up and accounted for. All he was missing were his socks and shoes. Sage could’ve taken that moment to see for himself if his significant other did in fact loose a toe like he says he did (he had never really had the opportunity to check before) but he did not.

The orange haired male had his head propped up on the top of his hand. “Damn it Fox!” he shouted slamming both hands against the table. The anger and relief that Sage felt mixed to form an odd and uncomfortable cocktail in his gut.

“It’s an arm,” was his reply. Sage felt like crying, he could feel it prick in his eyes. He was mad, he was still so _furious_ with him for escaping but seeing him now... he was reminded again of the image of blood and soot and _just more blood_. “I’m fine, Sage.”

He puckered his lips and kissed the air. Sage choked on air.

Fox sighed after a moment when neither moved or spoke; he held up the remainder of his arm. He was missing from above the elbow down on his left arm—the bandages were colouring with blood. “See, it’s just a scratch,” he smiled shyly in his direction.

“You—!” Sage cut himself off in mid-shout when a drop of blood escaped the wrappings. “You’re bleeding through the bandages!”

Fox pouted, “so... no kisses then?”

 


End file.
